Oregon’s Recreational Marijuana Market Begins Today

Marijuana will become legalized for adults in Oregon on July 1, 2015. Oregon will regulate its recreational marijuana market similarly to Colorado.

The Control, Regulation, and Taxation of Marijuana and Industrial Hemp Act will allow adults 21 years of age and older to possess up to eight ounces of marijuana and grow up to four marijuana plants. State officials are still in the process of establishing a regulated system for recreational marijuana cultivation and sales.

Voters in at least five states are expected to consider similar ballot measures in November 2016. A voter initiative has officially qualified for the ballot in Nevada, petition drives are underway in support of initiatives in Arizona and Maine, and initiatives are in the process of being drafted in California and Massachusetts.

“Marijuana is less addictive than alcohol and it’s far less harmful to the body,” stated Mason Tvert of the Marijuana Policy Project, which is supporting ballot initiative efforts in five states. “Adults who prefer to use marijuana instead of alcohol should not be punished for making the safer choice. In Oregon, they no longer will be.”